Steve Jobs: "I think Mike Spindler is the unsung hero of Apple's success over the last two years."
Floyd Kvamme, Kleiner Perkins: "With Mike, you get a lot of steak. You're not getting a lot of sizzle. There's a lot of steak, though."
Mike Markkula: "The board has been very pleased with Michael's performance. He is the best thinker at Apple. He is truly a very brilliant man."
In 1980, Michael Spindler joined Apple Inc as European Manager based in Paris, France. In 1985, he took responsibility for Apple's International business based in Cupertino, CA. In 1990, Michael Spindler became President & COO, and he become President & CEO in 1993.
Following corporate life, Michael Spindler became a venture capitalist: he co-founded
Upstart Capital and served as its co-managing partner with
Deepak Moorjani.
Michael Spindler served on the boards of German carmaker Daimler-Benz and media conglomerate Bertelsmann. He also served on the boards of non-profits, including the American Film Institute in Los Angeles and Libraries for the Future in New York.
Former Apple CEO Michael Spindler preferred to keep a low profile. As he stated: "I don't believe in this star-mania stuff. I'm too much of a believer in teams to worry about becoming a star."